CEBioForum 2026: Powering the next wave of biotech innovations

CEBioForum 2026 is behind us — two days of intense debates, meetings, and inspiration, bringing together nearly 400 participants from over 200 companies and institutions. The discussions focused on key challenges and strategies for European biotechnology to better respond to global needs and shape the future of the industry.

Bringing together leaders from science, business, and public administration, CEBioForum 2026 once again positioned Warsaw as a key hub for life sciences in Central and Eastern Europe. The event showcased how collaboration, funding, and talent development are driving the next generation of biotech innovation from research to real-world impact.

The CEBioForum 2026 agenda addressed the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the life sciences sector. Panel discussions covered innovation financing, venture capital trends, regulatory frameworks, and talent development, reflecting the growing complexity of the ecosystem.
A strong emphasis was placed on skills and workforce development, with the active involvement of the Sectoral Competence Council for Life Sciences. Experts highlighted the increasing importance of combining scientific excellence with managerial capabilities to successfully commercialize innovation.
The conference was further enriched by side events and networking sessions, enabling direct exchange between scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and public sector representatives. The presence of institutions such as PARP and NCBR provided participants with insights into current funding opportunities and support mechanisms for R&D projects.

From ecosystem strategy to execution: key themes shaping biotech growth at CEBioForum 2026

The discussion panels at CEBioForum 2026 provided a comprehensive, system-level view of the European and CEE biotech landscape, addressing both macroeconomic and operational dimensions of sector growth. A recurring theme was the gap between strong scientific output and limited commercialization capacity, particularly in Central and Northern Europe. Speakers emphasized that while the region benefits from high-quality research, competitive cost structures, and growing innovation ecosystems, it still faces structural barriers in scaling companies, securing late-stage capital, and enabling cross-border collaboration. The debate around the upcoming European Biotech Act further highlighted the strategic opportunity for CEE to position itself as a key hub for R&D, manufacturing, and talent, provided that regulatory frameworks, funding instruments, and industrial policies become more aligned with the realities of biotech development cycles.

Equally important were discussions focused on the operational mechanics of innovation—from preclinical research and venture capital models to talent and communication strategies. Panels examined the inefficiencies of current drug development paradigms, including high clinical failure rates, and explored emerging approaches such as advanced translational models and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to improve predictability and reduce risk. At the same time, investors and founders critically assessed whether existing VC structures in Europe are fit for purpose, pointing to bottlenecks in scaling and follow-on financing. Strong attention was also given to human capital as a strategic constraint, with talent acquisition, leadership development, and organizational culture identified as decisive factors for long-term competitiveness. Complementing this, discussions on biotech communication and emerging fields such as longevity underscored the need to translate complex science into credible, investable narratives, capable of attracting capital, partners, and public trust.

CEBioForum Awards 2026 — Groundbreaking Projects and Outstanding Leaders

One of the key highlights of each CEBioForum edition is the Awards ceremony, where we recognize individuals and organizations driving innovation, supporting the development of biotechnology, and shaping the future of the life sciences ecosystem.

This year’s Jury faced an exceptionally challenging task — the level of nominations once again confirmed the strength and momentum of #polishbiotech and the broader CEE region.

We are proud to present the CEBioForum Awards 2026 winners:

R&D Collaboration
Projekt iQ-007 (Jagiellonian University & iQure Pharma)
Recognized for successfully bridging academia and industry to advance a first-in-class CNS therapy from discovery to clinical stage – a strong example of scalable translational innovation.

Innovative Startup
Labtree
Awarded for developing an AI-powered infrastructure layer that captures and structures experimental knowledge, enabling reproducible, data-driven scientific discovery and addressing a key bottleneck in life sciences R&D.

Most Influential Person
dr hab. Jarosław Biliński – Human Biome
Honored for pioneering next-generation microbiome therapeutics, effectively translating research into clinical innovation, and for his outstanding role in integrating and promoting the biotech ecosystem.

Impact Investor
Hard2Beat
Recognized for supporting early-stage biotech companies and making strategic investments in high-potential ventures such as Melanos Care and Pikralida.

Jury Award
Paweł Przewięźlikowski
Awarded for his long-standing contribution to the development of the Polish biotechnology ecosystem, including recent initiatives such as “Budzimy Innowacje” and the Future Council.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to this year’s Jury for their expertise and engagement throughout the selection process.

This year’s Awards Gala, held at the Westin Hotel in Warsaw, brought a new and exceptional format to the celebration – and we are grateful to everyone who joined us for this special evening.

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you for shaping the future of biotechnology!

“CEBioForum is not just a conference, but a real tool for building collaboration in the life sciences sector – a place where projects meet capital and knowledge translates into tangible implementations. Our ambition is to create a space where innovations can move more efficiently from research to market applications.” – Aleksandra Kubica-Misztal, PhD, President of BioForum

CEBioForum 2026 was held under the Honorary Patronage of the Mayor of the City of Warsaw, as well as key national institutions supporting innovation and economic development, including the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), and the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.

A key role in shaping the substantive agenda of this year’s edition was played by the Sectoral Competence Council for Life Sciences, which acted as the Knowledge Partner, contributing its expertise to discussions on skills development and workforce transformation in the sector.

We extend our special thanks to our Gold Partners – Bioton and NCBR – for their strategic support, as well as to our Silver Partners: Rezon Bio, Invest in Łódź, and Endolink.

A strong focus of CEBioForum remains the integration of the regional biotechnology ecosystem. This year, we were proud to collaborate with our Ecosystem Partners, including: Prague.bio, LithuaniaBIO, Hungarian Biotech Association, Biocatalyst Foundation, Global Biotech Revolution, Life Science Austria, WSB Symbioza, CIC Innovation Campus, and SaxoCell.

We also thank our Media Partners for their support and coverage of the event: Laboratorium. Przegląd Ogólnopolski, Laboratorium360.pl, Biotechnologia.pl, and mZdrowie.pl.

Finally, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to all partners, speakers, and participants whose engagement made CEBioForum 2026 a success and reinforced its role as a leading platform for the life sciences sector in Central and Eastern Europe.

Join the next edition: express your interest in CEBioForum2027

Planning to be part of future CEBioForum editions? Submit your interest and let us know how you would like to engage—whether as a participant, partner, speaker, or exhibitor. This is the first step to connect with one of the leading life sciences platforms in Central and Eastern Europe.